By Dr. Kendra A. O’Hora, Ph.D., LCMFT

READING TIME: 6 MINUTES

“Would you like to do a 90-minute session next week?”

Recently, my therapist asked me if I wanted to switch to a 90-minute session. Since we’ve had a long-standing relationship and I really trust her, I thought – why not?!

Two weeks later, I’m SOLD.

When 50-minutes Doesn’t Cut It

Have you ever had the feeling that therapy or coaching was just getting started as your provider gently let you know time was up?

Have you ever checked the clock at the 34 minute mark and realized all you’ve done is catch up on current events and that crazy  thing that happened last week? 

Have you ever finished unpacking a really vulnerable theme or concept only to realize that there really wasn’t any time to decide what to DO with it?

My friend, you may be a great candidate for a 90-minute session.

When Insurance Sucks

If any of those previous questions resonated even slightly you may be wondering – why don’t providers offer longer sessions more often? 

Simply, insurance sucks.

The field of mental health is largely (almost entirely) dictated by the insurance industry. Insurance companies determine nearly everything about how a provider practices: how long sessions should be, how long they should take to “fix” the problem, what methods they should use, what diagnoses are appropriate (or worse, reimbursable), what settings a provider can work in (e.g., their office vs. home vs. a walk in the park), and more.

There Are Always Exceptions to the Rule

Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule. 

*Some* Insurances operate from believing couples therapy should be a covered service, so they do. Although truthfully, this is rare/hard to find AND providers are compensated much less to see couples compared to individuals. Early in my career one insurance company reimbursed me $44 dollars for a couples session compared to $97 for an individual session. Gesh!

 *Some* Insurances cover certain treatment methods in longer quantities, like EMDR. EMDR is a highly researched treatment method that often calls for longer sessions to safely process and work through trauma. 

Yet, in other cases, highly researched treatment models, like EFT (Emotion Focused Couples Therapy), that call for a longer intake session with a couple are not always covered by insurances. 

The inconsistencies and red-tape are exhausting. 

What’s A Therapist to Do?

For many therapists, operating outside of these constraints is plainly not feasible. They need the financial stability to maintain a consistent case load and steady source of income.  As a result, they partner with insurance and sell their soul to the devil….not really but you get the point.

For other therapists, operating in the system is their choice because they want to provide the most accessible care to clients possible. This means partnering and playing by the rules so that all people can receive mental health services – an honorable goal for sure. 

Albeit sometimes effective, many providers feel our system is broken and they are limited in what they can do. Trust us, this hurts our hearts when it comes to what we believe to be sound, clinical care.

There Has to Be Another Way

And while many practices and clients do not have the freedom to operate outside of these parameters. Wellness & Co. does.

We’ve built a practice designed to operate outside of these constraints to prioritize the client. And our business model supports this through and through…

Every provider at Wellness & Co. is given autonomy to trust their clinical judgment and the needs of the client. They are given freedom to create a schedule that works for their work-life balance needs and to honor the goals and abilities of their clients. And lastly, all providers are compensated fairly and clients charged appropriately for the service, geographic location, and skill of their provider. 

As a result? You and your provider can choose what works for you. 

This path has worked for us. Really, truly worked for us. During the startup phase of the business, during the COVID years, and even now as we continue to grow and add new providers. 

We’re passionate about adding providers to our team who get the long-game and know how to attune and align with the best interests of their clients. 

Time to Take the Magic Pill?

So, is it time to take the 90-minute magic pill? Talk with your provider today. Or, schedule a free consult and discuss whether your individual, couple, or family session may benefit from a longer session format. 

You just may find that the extra time allows you to settle, unpack core concepts, emotions, and next steps more intimately, and provides you the hope you need to keep working through the tough stuff.

Always Honesty

We’re not about deception over here at Wellness & Co. All healthy and helpful ways of thinking and being require a careful analysis of pros and cons. There is an investment in top-notch, client centered care. All of our providers charge between $130-$200 for a 50-minute session. So, a 90-minute session would cost $195-$300. 

And as you can deduce, insurance is not likely going to reimburse all of that. 

So what’s most important is that as you consider your needs as a client you also talk with your provider about the best possible way to support those needs. We know that the long-term investment in your mental health offsets many other things like a costly divorce, an addiction you can’t kick, or ongoing physical health problems that manifest due to stress (to name a few). 

How to Create a Practical Strategy

Maybe you try a single 90-minute session to see how it feels and then collaborate with your provider on a plan moving forward.

Maybe you consider doing a handful of longer sessions as you tackle an important theme or problem area of your life and then go back to your typical 50-minute session. 

Or, maybe you make a commitment to press pause on something else that’s taking up time or money to recoup the cost of this shift. The little things add up – Starbucks, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Target, Chick-fil-a, Apple Music, the list goes on and on with what we’re comfortable spending money on. No one can tell you how to spend your money but in a safe conversation with your provider you can discern what’s best for you moving forward. 

Do You Love the Weeds?

Are you someone who is curious about how the mental health industry has unfolded in the last few decades, what the current problems-of-the-day are, what advocacy looks like, and how this all impacts your care and treatment? Comment below and let us know so we can educate you more and more on what you need to know and how best to communicate with your provider about YOUR needs. 

This is your healing journey, you have a right to understand what’s happening in our field and exactly what it means for you. 

Cheers to 90-minutes of hard-core, deep-feeling, powerful, therapeutic progress. 

Until next time,

K